How to fix squeaky stairs I already fixed once?

[Brian Elfert]

I bought a house built in 1980 a few years back. The stairs squeaked like crazy when I bought it. The carpet and trim were being replaced so I tore off the particle board treads and replaced all of them with pine treads from Menards. I glued the new treads and also used Spax screws to hold them down. The center stringer was cut totally wrong so there was a gap under the center of every tread. I filled the gap with blocks of wood or shims depending on how wide the gap was.

The top three steps are now squeaking almost as bad as before just in the last few days. Is there anything I can do now since these steps have carpet on top and drywall on the bottom?

[Mel Fulks]

I think the only fix is going to be glue blocks on the bottom. Two by twos are often ripped diagonally and used with plenty of glue and staples.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Squeaks occur because something is moving and rubbing. You have to eliminate the movement.

Can the carpet be pulled back?

FWIW, I had a set of horribly squeaky stairs, and it was driving me crazy enough to tear them entirely apart. I left the particle board treads (they were 1.25" thick, at least...), but replaced the 1/4" risers with 3/4" ply, and used construction adhesive and GRK screws on everything. 5 years later, they are still dead silent. It can be done.

[Erik Loza]

We have one or two steps that squeak. Not all the time but when they do, it's super annoying. I work upstairs and go up and down the stairwell probably 20X a day, so it's like nails on the chalkboard when they act up. Stairs are carpeted. I am thinking of just making some tiny incisions with my Exacto knife and driving Spax screws through the steps, then super-gluing the carpet incisions back together. Maybe the stars will magically align and they will start squeaking when my wife is out of town and I am feeling motivated?

Erik

[Brian Elfert]

FWIW, I had a set of horribly squeaky stairs, and it was driving me crazy enough to tear them entirely apart. I left the particle board treads (they were 1.25" thick, at least...), but replaced the 1/4" risers with 3/4" ply, and used construction adhesive and GRK screws on everything. 5 years later, they are still dead silent. It can be done.

This is almost exactly what I did when I replaced the stair treads. I used construction adhesive with SPAX Powerlag screws. The SPAX screws are basically the same as the GRK screws.

[Chris Padilla]

They have those special screws (and kit) that are specifically designed to break off just below the top of the wood panel. They are meant for carpeted areas. I saw Tom Silva demonstrating it on Ask This Old House. Google: Squeaky floor screws.

[Stew Hagerty]

As a contractor, whenever I built stairs, I always used construction adhesive along with the screws and not one customer ever reported a squeak.

[Brian Elfert]

I have this feeling the real fix is going to be tearing the stairs out completely and replacing the stringers and everything. I used construction adhesive and SPAX Powerlag screws when I installed the new treads. I guess I can try the screws that go through the carpet and break off first.

The person who cut the center stringer botched it up bad. At the the bottom of the stairway some of the steps have a gap that is two inches wide from the stringer to the treads.

[Stew Hagerty]

I used construction adhesive and SPAX Powerlag screws when I installed the new treads.

I'm sorry Brian, I missed that you said you used glue & screws.
Is it just the treads with the bad section of center stringer that are squeaking?
If so, try cutting a new section of stringer and sistering it onto ine side the bad part of the center stringer (or make one for both sides). Then put the treads back on using fresh construction adhesive and screws.

[Leigh Betsch]

We are selling a house built in 1896. I love every squeak that house has.

[Bradley Gray]

+1 on glue blocks. Glue and nail everywhere they fit.

[Stephen Tashiro]

This is one case where "Post some pictures" doesn't apply. Can audio files be posted on the forum? Figuring out how to post a recording of the squeaking stairs would be a nice project to take one's mind off fixing the stairs. And, if things go as most computer projects do, the stairs will stop squeaking when you try to record them.

[Wes Ramsey]

This is one case where "Post some pictures" doesn't apply. Can audio files be posted on the forum? Figuring out how to post a recording of the squeaking stairs would be a nice project to take one's mind off fixing the stairs. And, if things go as most computer projects do, the stairs will stop squeaking when you try to record them.

I fix so many PC issues using the same methodology! Recreate the error/issue or it didn't happen ;)

[Garth Almgren]

No audio files, but you could record a short video, upload it to YouTube, and link to it here. :)

[Harry Hagan]

They have those special screws (and kit) that are specifically designed to break off just below the top of the wood panel. They are meant for carpeted areas. I saw Tom Silva demonstrating it on Ask This Old House. Google: Squeaky floor screws.


I saw that segment too—I’d be trying those screws as my first attempt at a remedy if I could find 'em.

[Ted Calver]

Think of the squeak as part of your security system and learn to live with it.....unless it wakes up the missus when you are sneaking home late:)

[Ron Kurzius]

You might find that the risers are causing the squeak. If you glued and screwed the treads I doubt that is where your problem is. Take some WD40 or such and spray the contact area of tread to riser, won't be a permanent fix but might pin point where the problem is.

[Brian Elfert]

I replaced all the risers too. I used the same screws, but cannot recall if I glued the risers. (Probably not.) I highly suspect the problem is the poorly cut center stringer. I had to put shims at the center of every tread and some I had to put blocks of wood the gap was so wide.

[Steven Green]

I'm a retired carpenter and from my experience I can say that the best way to fix squeaky stairs is from underneath. If you can expose the bottom of the stairs it's easy to see what is causing the squeaks and fix it. We generally used wedges and glue.